Bangalore :
The hockey academy in Kushalnagar isn’t one among those where players eat, drink and sleep hockey. It is a movement that stirred a community’s emotions and gently persuaded it to bond with the game it loved.
What began as a practice session between former international hockey player and coach Len Aiyappa and a local boy who just couldn’t part with his hockey stick is now a training centre that houses around 50 boys in the 8-14 age group.
Coaches, trainers, officials, helpers are all from the neighborhood — former players or enthusiasts who have not only allowed their boys to play the game but contributed generously to the cause.
The academy might not have drastically changed the game’s fortunes but its impact has been telling in a town that had switched to cricket and football, despite being the cradle of hockey once upon a time.
It all started with Len moving to Kushalnagar for a short period late last year to tend to his mother who was battling cancer.
Playing football with his friends at the Government Middle School ground one evening, Len noticed a young boy with a hockey stick watching them from the sidelines. He joined them for a game before asking Len whether anyone would help him sharpen his hockey skills.
“This boy, Trishul, loved hockey. He was forced to play football only because there was no one interested in hockey,” Len told TOI. “I told him I would teach him the basics.”
Practice sessions began in January this year. “Trishul would reach the ground at dawn much before I did. Watching his commitment, two of his friends joined him. The number grew to 10 and within a few weeks I had about 50 young boys training with me.”
As the number grew, so did the demands.
The first — a bigger ground for practice — was met when the Government Junior College physical trainer offered his institution’s facility provided Len trained the hostel students. Len was only too glad to accept the quid pro quo.
Then came the challenge of providing sticks, balls and a healthy morning snack for his trainees. While his contacts helped him get the hockey kit, Kushalnagar residents chipped in to meet the other needs.
“Trishul’s father Ganesh said he was ready to manage the centre. Having trained at the state academy in Kudige, he was confident of being a tutor. I gave him the basic programme and we began sharing the work. We have a trainer too, Yogesh, a retired Border Security Force employee,” Len said.
A few other hockey players from the neighborhood volunteered to help when the number swelled to around 100 during the summer vacation in April-May. “We didn’t charge a penny. It was a grassroots initiative and we realized there were players from modest backgrounds. There were others willing to contribute and that helped us tide over critical times. It was a new Kushalnagar that I saw.”
Once the vacation was over, Len realized he had to put a proper coaching programme in place. He approached former India captain Jude Felix, whose academy in the city had impressed him. Felix helped his boys with basic kitting and held refresher courses at Kushalnagar.
“Len is keen that we run his centre. But we need additional manpower and resources for that. We are keen to help him as our ideologies match. We do it for an orphanage while Len is doing for the masses without expecting any returns,” said JFHA head coach Shanmugham.
Incidentally, Len’s centre does not have a name. “I haven’t felt the need to find a name. Why should a collective cause be named after anybody? It is a community drive and it will remain the same forever. Our aim is to popularize hockey. My first trainee, Trishul, is now in the Kudige state hostel. That has come as a big boost to my confidence.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bangalore> Namma Metro / by Narain Swamy, TNN / October 13th, 2014
